I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of suppressing unwanted electrical surges within an electrical system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for suppressing electrical surges within a field termination block assembly used in the data and telephone communications industry.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the communication industry, and more particularly in the telephone and data transmission industry, field termination block assemblies are commonly used for making electrical cross-connections between two sets of conductors. For example, field termination block assemblies are used in the telephone industry on distribution panels to interconnect conductors in a central office cable to conductors from the various station equipment located within a building. Generally speaking, field termination block assemblies provide the ability to simultaneously make electrical interconnections between a multiplicity of conductors within an electrical system without first removing the insulative covering from the conductors, thereby saving time and money during installation and service operations.
One such field termination block assembly is the well known Type 110 field termination block assembly, commercially available from AT&T Technologies. Examples of Type 110 field termination block assemblies are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,587, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,812, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,270, the teachings of which are collectively incorporated herein by reference. A Type 110 field termination block assembly includes a wiring base and a plurality of connector blocks. The wiring base has a plurality of rows of slotted receptacles for receiving cables therein. The connector blocks include a plurality of blade-like terminal clips capable of mating within the slotted receptacles such that, when the connector blocks are snapped into place on the wiring base, the terminal clips pierce the insulative coating of the cables disposed within the slotted receptacles. The terminal clips are symmetrical and extend from the top to the bottom of the connecting blocks. An input row of slotted receptacles on the wiring block (receiving cables from the "equipment" or "protected" side) may thus be easily interconnected to an output row of slotted receptacles on the wiring block (receiving cables from the "field" or "unprotected" side) by simply extending jumper wires between the various terminal clips along the top edge of adjacent connector blocks.
Communications equipment, and telephone circuitry in particular, operates upon relatively low voltage levels. It is therefore desirable to protect the communications equipment from unusual line characteristics, such as electrical surges resulting in over-voltage or over-current conditions. Various attempts have been made at providing surge protection for the Type 110 field termination block assemblies. However, the techniques employed to date suffer from various drawbacks. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved surge suppression system for Type 110 field termination block assemblies.